Snot - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.

Quite often, children and adults have to face such an unpleasant problem as a cold, or, in ordinary language, with snot.

Rhinitis is an increased secretion of serous fluid by the nasal mucosa due to the action of infectious, toxic or allergic agents on it. Due to the fact that the nasal mucosa is abundantly supplied with blood vessels, the pathogenic substances cause an increased permeability of the capillary walls, and the liquid part of the blood swims into the nasal cavity, flowing outward or draining along the back wall of the pharynx. Also, with the introduction of viruses and bacteria, mucosal cells begin to produce a transparent or viscous secret enriched with antibodies to neutralize microorganisms.

Thus, snot is nothing but a defensive reaction of the body to the influence of unfavorable factors.

The consistency, transparency and color of the discharge from the nose can tell about the nature of the inflammation( viral or bacterial), whether the paranasal sinuses are involved in the pathological process and the need for a particular treatment, in particular the use of antibiotics.

Normally, a small amount of mucus is constantly released in the nose to moisten the inhaled air and to clean it of harmful impurities. If a person has an increased amount of nasal discharge, and the more it becomes dense and changes color, this indicates a disease.

Liquid sniffles

Among the causes of clear liquid snot, the following factors stand out:

is an acute respiratory viral infection. Many viruses are tropic to the cells of the nasal mucosa, causing the release of mucus, enriched with protective antibodies. Liquid transparent snot appear at the beginning of a viral infection, last about three to five days, then disappear or, more often, go into a phase of bacterial inflammation, characterized by a thick discharge. Transparent snot is accompanied by symptoms such as fever, sneezing, nasal congestion, headache, lacrimation and stuffiness of the ears.
- physiological cold of newborns - production of clear nasal mucus, which does not flow outward, but flows down the back wall of the pharynx. Such a condition does not require treatment and passes independently as the child's respiratory system adapts to the external environment. But to establish the cause of a cold in a newborn child should only be a pediatrician.
- exposure to allergens - animal hair, plant pollen, feather pillows, dust, foodstuffs, medicines, etc.,
- vasomotor rhinitis - violation of the nervous regulation of the vascular wall, resulting in increased capillary permeability,
- drug-induced runny nose due to vasoconstrictive drugswith their long-term use,
- traumatic damage to the nasal mucosa - adverse effects of thermal factors( hypothermia, overheating), mechanical damage.

Sometimes the current transparent snot may not actually be a snot, but a spinal cord fluid. This symptom is called the nasal liquorice( literally, the outflow of the cerebrospinal fluid from the nose), and occurs in complex craniocerebral trauma with injuries to the latticed bone and the meninges. If the patient has an indication of a craniocerebral injury, after which the secretion of clear liquid from the nose began, one should consult a doctor to clarify the nature of the nasal discharge. The usual nasal secretion and cerebrospinal fluid differ in the content of glucose and protein in them.

How to treat liquid snot?

Treatment of liquid snot with viral infection is not much different from treating a common cold, accompanied by a thick discharge. In both cases, the temperature regime in the room is important, frequent airing and humidification of the air. An exception is the fact that with transparent snot, before the appearance of "green", and, consequently, bacterial flora, there is no need for the use of local and systemic antibiotics unless the treating physician thinks otherwise.

- Frequent ventilation of the room and humidification of air with the help of special humidifiers. Breathing moist moistened oxygen helps to cleanse the nasal passages and greatly facilitates their patency.

- Frequent washing of the nose with a physical solution or preparations based on sea water.

Against the common cold and for the prevention of diseases of ENT organs, as well as complications, a nose wash is used. However, most solutions for the treatment of runny nose in the form of ready-made aerosols imply a procedure for nasal irrigation, rather than for immediate rinsing. Irrigation, unlike washing, can only reduce the thick consistency of nasal secretions, but will not solve the problems with their removal along with harmful bacteria. After irrigation the mucous membrane quickly dries up, which further aggravates the rhinitis, provokes swelling.
Flushing promotes the reduction of inflammation, improving the mucous membrane of the nose and reducing the risk of sinusitis and sinusitis. Modern methods involve the washing of the nasal passages with special antiseptic agents. For example, the components of the drug "Dolphin" get to the sinuses of the nose, diluting the clots of mucus and naturally leading them out. To children such lavages help or assist at an adenoiditis - inflammatory process in a pharyngeal tonsil( adenoides).

- Inhalation with nebulizer or inhaler. It is possible to inhale special solutions for a nebulizer or broth prepared independently( broth of chamomile, mint, sage, etc.).Any use of medicinal herbs should first be discussed with your doctor, in order to avoid unwanted allergic reactions to herbs. In case of impossibility of inhalation with herbal decoctions, inhalation of fiz.solution in a 1: 1 ratio with alkaline mineral water( Essentuki No. 4 or No. 17).Important!- you can use only decoctions, in no case can alcohol or oil tinctures be used, as this will lead to injury of the trachea and bronchi, and is fraught with the development of "oil" pneumonia, which is very difficult to treat.

- The use of vasoconstrictive drugs - xylenes, tizin, nazole, rinza and many others. For children, it is possible to use such drops and spray as nasol baby and vibrocil( the latter has an antihistamine in the composition, which has a pronounced anti-edematous effect).Use the drugs can be no more than five days, since it is possible to get used to. Naphazoline-based drops( naphthyzine) should be used with great care, as in children this substance can cause an overdose even with a slight excess of the prescribed dose, and lead to inhibition of cardiac activity and the central nervous system.

- Phytomedication - pinosol, equasept, have mainly a vegetative structure, possess antibacterial effect and stimulate local immunity.

- Immunomodulating preparations of local action - IRS - 19 spray in the nose, bronchomunal in capsules for oral administration. Has the effect similar to the effect of the vaccine - the composition contains a mixture of bacterial lysates, which by its presence on the mucosa irritate it and stimulate the immune response, which subsequently protects the mucosa from the introduction of such types of microorganisms. The course of taking at least two weeks.

It is prescribed to instill a solution of interferon diluted with ordinary boiled water, a few drops in the nose, to provide antiviral protection. At inhalations in a mix fiz.solution and alkaline water is also added half of the ampoule of interferon.

In the treatment of allergic rhinitis, a special role is played by taking antihistamines as prescribed by a doctor. Often, to get rid of an allergic rhinitis, it is enough to identify the allergen with the help of a blood test and remove it from the patient's environment.

Treatment of vasomotor rhinitis is reduced to strengthening the autonomic nervous system with the help of physiotherapy exercises, contrast showers, hardening and other procedures, as well as timely diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the digestive system.

Thick sodas

Thick transparent sap appears at the initial stage of an acute viral infection or in bacterial diseases of the nasopharynx, and after a couple of days their color becomes yellow-green. Frequent episodes of this type of rhinitis occur in persons with allergic reactions, with the constant inhalation of very dry air or due to a polyp on the nasal mucosa. In children, moreover, the frequent expiration of thick, transparent sopers is indicative of enlarged and inflamed adenoids. Detachable from the nose in the form of thick transparent mucus is possible with incorrect and neglected treatment of the common cold, which lasts more than 10 days. In infants, thick mucus is dangerous because it not only greatly hampers nasal breathing, but also affects the overall condition of the baby, preventing it from fully eating and sleeping. Such a condition in a young child can arise if during illness he breathes dry and un-moistened air in a stuffy room.

Thick green snot appears, as a rule, in the final phase of viral rhinitis due to the fact that due to weakened local immunity, favorable conditions for the life of bacteria in the nasal passages are created. In fact, after the virus was destroyed, pathogenic bacteria begin to live on the mucous membrane, to which the body reacts with the release of a large number of white blood cells - leukocytes - from the blood. Dense green snot, especially common in children - is a mucus consisting of salt, protein, inactivated bacteria and leukocytes. Experienced mothers, for example, know that as soon as the child's transparent snot has changed to green, it means that bacterial inflammation has arisen. This type of cold can last about 10 days, sometimes longer, and without competent treatment to pass into a chronic form.

Sometimes snot with greens can occur immediately after hypothermia, as well as an allergic reaction to the animal's hair, flowering herbs and other types of allergens.

Thick yellow snot also may indicate bacterial inflammation that has joined after the virus. In addition, they usually appear in the acute stage of sinusitis. This inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, accompanied by a temperature, a headache and severe nasal congestion. Especially the headache and painful heaviness near the nose are intensified when the head is tilted forward. In chronic sinusitis, the snot becomes yellow - green and appears during periods of exacerbation. To clarify the diagnosis, you should see a doctor, perform an x-ray of the paranasal sinuses and, when the diagnosis is confirmed, start antibacterial treatment.

Often, yellow snot, along with a viscous sputum of yellowish-green color, appear in smokers, the color in this case is due to the coloration of tar from tobacco smoke deposited on the nasal mucosa and bronchi.

Sometimes a thick mucus can not flow out, but flows down the back wall of the pharynx. Patients describe this condition as snot in the throat. To lead to this may be incorrectly cured rhinitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis or sinusitis, long-term use of vasoconstrictive drugs, problems with the digestive tract, namely, the casting of gastric contents along the esophagus into the pharynx, while the aggressive gastric environment irritates the mucous membrane of the oropharynx. This condition is called laryngopharyngeal reflux. In infants due to anatomical features, the flow of snot to the back of the throat is very common.

How to treat thick snot?

A physician with this type of rhinitis, in addition to recommendations for the current liquid snot, may prescribe the following treatment:

- Preparations that dilute the nasal thick mucus and facilitate its removal from the nose - rhinofluucimil, ximelin extra.

- Use of antibacterial drugs. These include drops of protargol based on silver salts, and antibiotics in the form of a spray - isofra, polidex, bioparox. Sometimes doctors prescribe eye drops for use in nasal passages - sfradex, tetracycline or levomycetin. This is very rarely resorted to, since the first four drugs deal with bacterial inflammation in the nasopharynx quite well and quickly.

The most important drugs in the treatment of thick white, yellow and green snot are local antibiotics, but sometimes, in the absence of positive dynamics in treatment, the doctor can prescribe and systemic antibiotics for oral administration, such as augmentin, amoxiclav, summed, azithrox, etc.

Sniffles with blood

Often with a cold, especially if the mucus is too difficult to mark, there are bloody streaks in the discharge from the nose. As a rule, this is not a dangerous symptom, in contrast to nasal bleeding, in which a large amount of blood is released from the nasal passages. Bloody streaks can occur in such conditions:
- frequent bluffing in a cold with thick sniffles,
- "drying out" of the nasal mucosa with too dry air in the room,
- sinusitis or sinusitis,
- influenza with small blood vessels, includingnumber and in the nasal mucosa,
- deficiency of vitamin C, which is easily compensated by taking ascorbic acid or ascorutin for several days.

In order to strengthen the wall of the capillaries and prevent injury to the nasal mucosa, it is necessary to take vitamin C in a prophylactic dose with a viral infection if there are no contraindications. You also need to comply with the temperature regime, not allowing dryness of the nasal mucosa, and vysmarkivatsya only after instilling in the nose a few drops of saline or sea water to moisten the mucosa and thinning of a thick discharge from the nose.

When should I see a doctor?

Try to cope with the common cold at home, you can in case the mucus that is running out of the nose, is a character of transparent snot and does not cause severe discomfort to the patient. The doctor should be consulted if:

- a runny nose from the first days is accompanied by purulent, green or yellow snot,
- a runny nose does not pass for ten days or more,
- for a long time accompanied by fever, severe headache, dizziness,
- Nasal congestion is combined with pains and "shooting" in the ears,
- the patient has allergic reactions, for the elimination of which it is necessary to conduct a survey and prescribe treatment with antihistamines,
- expirationThe clear mucus from the nose started after a traumatic brain injury,
- the purulent mucus secretion from the nose is accompanied by a strong cough with purulent sputum.

Which doctor should I consult?

In case of a cold in a child accompanied by fever, you need to call a pediatrician at home or visit him at the clinic. At a very high body temperature( 39 ° C and above), the infants need to call an ambulance team or go to the admission department of a children's hospital. People of adult age need to get advice from an ENT doctor. In turn, an ENT - the doctor can prescribe a consultation of an allergist in case of suspected allergic nature of the disease.

Doctor therapist Sazykina O.Yu.